The adjustment of bicycle hand brakes has generally been a tricky problem for the bicycle rider. If the brake shoes are set at too great a distance from the wheel rim, they will not make sufficient contact when the brake lever is depressed. If they are too close they will make contact when the brake lever is not depressed, slowing the cyclist down considerably. Furthermore, to work optimally the brake shoes should be at the correct orientation with respect to the outward tilt of the rim. In addition, the brake shoe should be oriented and positioned so that it runs cleanly along the length of rim it contacts, rather than hitting the tire or extending uselessly beyond the interior of the rim. In addition, it is generally most effective for the brake shoe to be oriented so that the forward most part of the shoe is closest to the rim.
Many modern day bicycles are fitted with cantilevered brakes. This type of system includes a cantilevered piece on each side of the wheel rim. This piece is connected near the top with a wire, which is pulled inward and upward when the rider wishes to stop. An eye bolt is generally coupled to the middle of the cantilevered piece. An eye bolt shares with other bolts the characteristics of having a threaded end and an opposed end which expands to form a head. An eye bolt, however, also includes a cylindrical hole or an "eye" running transversely through the head. In a cantilever brake system, the brake shoe stud (a pole connected transversely to the back of the brake shoe pad) fits through the eye of the eye bolt.
With this type of system, brake adjustments may be effected by adjusting a set of contoured washers on the eye bolt which holds the "brake shoe stud." When these washers are all correctly adjusted and the brake shoe is positioned at the correct distance from the wheel rim, the nut holding the eye bolt in place must be carefully tightened in order for all of the adjustments are retained. When this is done, a predetermined contoured washer presses against the brake shoe stud, holding it in place.
When a new brake shoe must be installed, however, it is necessary to undo the nut retaining the eye bolt. Unfortunately, when this nut is unscrewed from the eye bolt, none of the contoured washers are rigidly kept in place. As a result, when the new brake shoe has been installed it may be necessary to readjust these washers, significantly complicating the entire process.
Moreover, even if a bicyclist desires merely to change the distance from brake shoe to wheel rim, it is necessary to undo the retaining nut, which could again lead to the necessity of more adjustments. This is also necessary if the only desired adjustment is the orientation of the brake pad relative to the curvature of the rim.
What is needed but has been up until now unavailable, is a system which allows the brake shoe to be changed or adjusted without loosening the nut which retains the eye bolt in place.